Unfortunately, no FDA-regulated holistic or over-the-counter heartworm preventatives exist. Some products may claim to prevent heartworm disease, but they're not effective, and your pet will likely still contract heartworm disease.

No, none of the heartworm preventions can clear a heartworm infection. The American Heartworm Society does not recommend the slow kill method, which involves keeping a dog on heartworm preventative until the heartworms die naturally. This can take several years, and the preventatives will not treat the adult heartworms. Actual heartworm treatment is required to clear the infection.

Yes, because of the resistant strain of heartworms, it's essential to ensure that the prevention is working. It's recommended to perform a heartworm test at least once a year, but some clinics recommend checking twice a year to catch heartworm disease early on.

Heartworm preventatives are very effective for preventing heartworm disease. However, there has been a new resistant strain of heartworm disease, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi. The injectable heartworm preventatives are considered the most effective at this time.

Most heartworm preventatives are labeled for use starting at eight weeks of age. If you've rescued a dog or if your dog has been off heartworm prevention, it's recommended to start it as soon as possible.

There are topical, oral, and injectable heartworm preventatives. In Mississippi, it's recommended to use either the oral or the injectable one, as the topical ones may not provide good enough coverage for heartworm disease in dogs.

Heartworms are prevented by taking a prescribed preventative, which can be administered monthly, semi-annually, or even annually.

Yes, even indoor dogs can get heartworms, as well as cats. Mosquitoes can still be found indoors, so there is still a risk for indoor dogs. It is much easier to prevent than to treat heartworm disease, so it is recommended to keep your dog on prevention year-round, regardless of whether they are indoor-only, inside-outside, or outside-only.

The cycle of heartworms starts when a mosquito carrying the infected larva bites your dog and deposits the infected larva into the tissue. The infected larva then spreads to the heart, where the adult heartworm develops. Heartworm preventatives help clear the baby heartworms or infected larva, but none of the preventatives treat the adult stage.

Heartworms are most common in the Mississippi Delta down to the Louisiana area, which has the highest number of heartworm cases in the entire country. If you live in this area, your dog should be on heartworm prevention year-round because it is incredibly common.